Darren Lehmann wants Smith and Warner's ban to be reviewed

The cultural review has revealed that the players were under huge pressure to win at all cost because of how the system is.

Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann wants Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft to be allowed to make a return to state and International cricket, with their respective bans being immediately reviewed.

In March 2018, Cricket Australia banned Steve Smith, David Warner for one year and Cameron Bancroft for a period of 9 months, after the trio was found out guilty of the offence where they were deliberately trying to alter the condition of the ball during the Cape Town Test against South Africa using a piece of sandpaper.

The incident raised allegations and doubts about the moral and ethical values of the kind of culture that Australian Cricket seems to have developed over the years.

This is when Lehmann resigned from his position despite his contract not expiring till the completion of the Ashes next year.

"I think they should be back but it's up to the board to make that decision, not me," he was quoted saying to Sydney Morning Herald,"I think the general feeling around Australia, certainly the people I talk to, is they want them playing again, at worst domestic cricket. Now the findings have come down they should be reviewing the sanctions on the three players."

Lehmann's opinion further emphasizes why the cultural review stated that Cricket Australia (CA) is perceived to be "arrogant and controlling" and reads, that to view the events in South Africa as "the failure of a handful of players" would be a mistake, before stressing on the need for everyone involved in the system to break the "bubble" they seem to live in.

Meanwhile, the players' union has also called for the sanctions to be looked in again, as the players were under huge pressure to win at all costs because of the "culture and system" they find themselves around.

"The findings of the report affirm this. This is extremely significant, as there is now independent verification that the system and culture were contributing factors," said ACA chief Greg Dyer in his statement.

Also, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has echoed the opinion recently, where he said, "We'd love to see the guys back playing as soon as possible. But that's not really our decision," and signed off with, "The bans have been handed down and the boys have copped them, as you'd expect. That's really out of our hands, as players."